Salvation For Two
by katbow
Summary: Gale follows Katniss back to District 12 at the end of the rebellion. He makes a plan to help her heal by taking her out to their woods. But, he will find his healing as well... as they both learn to trust each other again. A total Galeniss story.
1. The Decision

I don't own The Hunger Games or these characters.

CHAPTER 1: THE DECISION

Katniss watched as Gale turned his back and headed for the door. She had never seen him look so hurt and defeated. And she knew she was the reason for his pain. He paused at the door, as if waiting for her to stop him.

She wanted to stop him. To go after him and tell him that she didn't mean what she had said. That they would find a way to work things out. But, she couldn't make herself move. Her throat felt constricted, like it was closing, and she couldn't call out to him - as he was shutting the door.

She stood there wanting him to come back and dreading that he might. She took a step forward then stepped backwards turned and started pacing. She hated this indecisiveness. This not being sure of herself and what she really wanted. How long had this been going on with her? She stopped and rubbed her forehead. It started after the first games. After she defied the Capitol with a handful of berries. And Snow began his mission to destroy her. Now, she just didn't care anymore. With Prim... gone. She was trying to choke back the tears when a sharp knock startled her out of her memory of flames.

She moved toward the door then stopped. What if it was Gale. She didn't want to see him... not now. She let out an exasperated sigh.

There was another louder knock. Then a voice called out, "Miss Everdeen we are here to escort you to the firing range."

Katniss took a deep breath and swiped the tears away. She walked over to the table and picked up her bow and quiver. When she opened the door four soldiers snapped to attention and stepped back to allow her to enter the hallway. The soldiers stepped into formation around her. Two in the front and two in the back. They moved as a unit toward the firing range. Toward her destiny.

Katniss stood at her mark and looked straight ahead where Snow was tied to the post staring at her. His eyes were cold and snake like. She was surprised, looking at him now, that she had no fear. She knew what she wanted to do... she wanted to kill him. To take her revenge for all that he had done to her and everyone else he chose to destroy.

As she looked at Snow, nagging thoughts kept playing in her mind. Thoughts that started that day in his rose garden. Things that he had implied about Coin and Prim and the bomb that killed her. She knew first hand what Coin could do. She had sent Peeta to her unit knowing that he wasn't better. Knowing that he would try to kill her. Didn't he try to do just that. She had been lucky - for the second time - to survive his attack.

Didn't Boggs try to warn her too. Not to go back to thirteen, not to trust anyone, and to kill Peeta. To kill Peeta because Coin had sent him there to kill her, just like Snow had done. He had sent Peeta to kill her too. To stop her from being the Mockingjay. To kill the rebellion with her death.

But Coin... she wanted to stop her. She knew the influence the Mockingjay had over the people in the Districts. Coin knew that the Mockingjay could influence what she wanted to do with her Presidency. And Katniss knew that Coin was on her way to being the same kind of monster that Snow had been.

She wanted the games to continue. If that happened then the rebellion would have been for nothing. Prim and Finnick would have died for nothing and there had to be meaning behind their deaths... everyone's deaths.

Katniss reached back and drew out her arrow. The arrow that Gale had brought to her room only moments before. She fitted the arrow to the bow string and couldn't stop her thoughts from going to the woods around twelve and to Gale. He was just as much a part of those woods as she was. Of the time they shared there hunting and surviving together while their friendship grew and deepened into something... special. Katniss shook her head to clear it and raised her bow. She looked down the arrow and took aim at Snow's chest. At the place where is heart should be, if he had one, which she doubted.

She shifted her eyes up and to the right where President Coin was standing on the balcony watching Katniss complete what she had set out to do. To kill the man who tried to take everything from her and her family. Then Katniss shifted her aim and let her arrow fly. The arrow hit its target and President Coin fell forward over the balcony.

Katniss looked at Snow and reached back for another arrow realizing - dammit - she only had one. Snow looked at her and started laughing. His laughter turned to coughing and soon he was coughing up large amounts of blood. Snow died laughing at her. He had won. He had used fear, death and lies to take every thing, she truly loved, away from her.

With her choice she finally became a monster. No better than the two lying dead in front of her. With this decision, she had destroyed whatever hope she had left for her future.

As the numbness slowly started to set in and spread. She knew she had to finish what she started out to do. She had come to the Capital to kill Snow and then die. She raised her arm up, so that she could bite open the patch. Inside the patch, was the pill that would stop this numbness. But her teeth didn't rip into the material of her uniform. They sank into the back of someone's hand. She looked up into clear grey eyes. Eyes that were so much like her own. She should have known that Gale would be there to stop her. After all, he knew her better than anyone.

She looked into those grey eyes and pleaded, "Gale, please. Let me go." As tears rolled down her face.

"Never, catnip! You know I will always have your back... always." He reached over with his other hand and turned her towards him. He looked in her eyes trying to convey everything he felt for her. His love. His pain. His determination that she live. Willing her to understand. They stood their staring at each other as the square around them erupted into complete turmoil.

Several soldiers appeared out of the jumble of people and jerked Katniss out of his grasp. Gale barreled into the one on her left knocking him out of the way. Turning he punched the one on the right in the stomach. And slammed his elbow into the back of his head. He grabbed Katniss' hand trying to get her to move. But, she just stood there and stared off into the distance.

Gale was caught in the side of the head by a blow that spun him around. He countered, by side stepping and kicking out at the soldiers knee. It buckled, dropping him to the ground. More soldiers grabbed Katniss and were dragging her toward the buildings. While several more piled on him forcing him to the ground. Gale gathered all his strength and regained his feet. Still fighting, still moving toward her. He yelled out... "KATNISS... HERE... I'M HERE." They brought him down to his hands and knees. As an officer stepped forward and cracked Gale in the head with the butt of his rifle. The last thing Gale remembered seeing was Katniss' blank grey eyes looking back at him.

Katniss was dragged through the crowd and taken into a nearby building. Where the soldier in command was shouting into a radio and barking commands to the other soldiers. He glared at her as they hustled her into the elevator and he jabbed at the buttons. When the doors slid open they dragged her forward and shoved her through a door. She landed hard on her hands and knees. Slowly, mind numbingly she rocked back on her haunches and looked around the room. Realizing, it was the same room she had been in for the games; she began to laugh hysterically. How ironic that things would end back where it had all started. She clapped her hands over her mouth and laid her forehead on the floor.

Through her muffled hysteria she could make out the door being locked and orders for guards to be posted. She stayed on the floor, for along time, swaying side to side. Trying to comfort herself enough to stop screaming inside. After several hours she crawled over to the bed. Pulled her boots off and slithered out of her pants. She tunneled under the blankets pulling them over her head. She was determined never to leave here... not alive anyway.

She wasn't really sure how much time had gone by. She spent most of it in bed sleeping or sitting in the shower crying. Meals were delivered and rejected on a regular basis until a medical team came in and sedated her so that they could feed her nutrients through IV's. Katniss had put up a valiant struggle, not to be sedated, but in the end she had lost.

She opened her eyes and blinked at the blinding light that was assaulting her. She raised her right hand up to shield her eyes and tried to focus her mind on remembering where she was and what had happened to her. Everything seemed to be just out of reach.

She tried to concentrate on just one detail... tried to remember. Slowly, her eyes began to focus and her mind became less foggy. Everything, she never wanted to remember, came slamming back to her. The tears began to fall, rolling down the side of her face and into her ears. She wished she could take the last few minuets back. That she could go back to not knowing, not remembering anything. Prim. The bomb. Burning fire. Killing Coin. Snow laughing at her. Gale stopping her from ending this pain. Being dragged to this room and kept prisoner. She covered her face with both her hands. Wishing again that they would just end this... one way or another.

"It's about time sweetheart." Katniss jumped and turned toward the sound of Haymitch's voice. He was sprawled in a chair in the corner of her room drinking from a bottle. Well, katniss thought, his forced dry spell must be over.

"You sure know how to make friends and influence people." He slurred through the smirk he had on his face.

She wasn't even going to dignify his remark with a comment. Besides, she really didn't have one. "How long?" She croaked out.

"How long total? Or how long since they knocked you out?"

She coughed and rasped out, "Both."

"Well, lets see. They let you try to starve yourself for... oh... about seven days. Then they came in and knocked you out. They didn't want you to kill yourself before they got a chance to finish your trial. You've been out for... hmm... about two weeks. Give or take a few days." He took a long pull on the bottle in his hand.

"So, sweetheart, that would be about twenty-one days." He took a big swallow from his bottle and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "Yep, I would like to thank you for all those days of hell you put us through."

"Trial?" She grunted. "When... when... is my execution?"

He just laughed and took another big swallow. "Do you really think the boy would let them kill you. He has been turning over everything he can get his hands on to prove that Coin's whole agenda was corrupt. That it was Coin who signed the paper allowing Prim, a thirteen year old, to go to the front lines."

"Who... Ga... Peeta?"

"No, sweetheart." Haymitch shook his head. "Peeta has been, in the hospital, working with the doctors to see if they can help him get his memories back." Haymitch leaned forward and added, "Delly has been there trying to help him too."

_Gale_... it was Gale. First, he stops me from swallowing that pill and now he is interfering in my execution. Can't he just let me go. She felt her anger start to rise. If he was here, right now... she would just... throttle him. Damn it!

Haymitch smirked and thought to himself, 'it's good to see her getting upset about Delly being with Peeta.'

Haymitch got up from his chair and walked over to the side of her bed. He bent over and looked her in the eyes. She glared up at him as his alcohol soaked breath hit her in the face. "Good! Good, sweetheart... it's about time you showed up."

He straightened up and turned towards the door. "Your going home." He threw over his shoulder, as he walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

Home. She was going home. Katniss swiped at the drying tears on her face, her anger growing. It's gathering storm focusing on the one person who should have known to stay out of her way.

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	2. Going Home

CHAPTER 2: GOING HOME

Two weeks later the soldiers finally showed up to escort her to the train. It was probably a good thing that they didn't come for her earlier. She was extremely weak from trying to starve herself and being knock out for so long. Though, when Gale crossed her mind her energy level tended to go up by leaps and bounds.

Over the course of those two weeks, they brought in food and drink every four to five hours. They started with broth and juice and progressed to stews and meat with potatoes. In between trying to eat, she tried to sleep. But, it seemed the nightmares weren't going to leave her alone. At those times, she would sit in the shower or stare at the woodland scene programed in the window.

Finally, she was on the train heading for district twelve. They had sent six soldiers to escort her to her room on the train. The one in charge posted guards then turned to her, "Miss Everdeen your door will be locked until we clear the tunnel out of the Capitol. Then you are free to go to the dining car. I will send someone to escort you to dinner at that time."

"Thank you." She said flatly. The soldier raised his hand to salute her then he stopped and just nodded his head and left.

She turned and looked at the room. Was this the same one she had been in before? She wasn't sure. She guessed they all looked pretty much the same. She walked over and laid down on the bed. She had been lying there looking at the ceiling for a long time. At least it felt like a long time, when she finally felt the train lurch forward. The train was moving and she was on her way home. She closed her eyes.

She snapped awake, alert and waiting, every muscle in her body tense and ready to move. There had been a noise... what noise? Then she heard the sharp knocking on her door, again. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed and ran her hands through her hair. "Come in," she said.

The door opened to let the 'soldier in command' in. "Miss Everdeen I am here to escort you to dinner." She got up off the bed and walked with him to the dining car.

When she came through the door Haymitch was all ready seated and pouring himself a drink. "Well, hello sweetheart. Have a seat and help yourself." Katniss just sat down across from him. Crossed her arms and glared at him.

"What! What did I do?" Haymitch asked with a smirk on his face. Then took a long drink from his glass.

"I thought I was going home days ago."

"Well, it wasn't exactly up to me. They wanted... certain arrangements to be in place before you left the Capitol."

"Arrangements? What arrangements."

"Well, now you don't have to worry about that... right. Besides, they wanted you to get some of your strength back before they let you go."

Katniss shock her head, "Right. You never told me anything before, why would you start now."

Haymitch snorted, "Exactly. So eat."

Katniss just sat and glared at Haymitch, for a while. Then she scooped up some of the lamb and plum stew and had a slice of strawberry cake. When she was finished, she got up, without saying a word, and went back to her room.

It was three in the morning when the nightmares woke her up again. She got up, took off her clothes and stood in the shower. She set the water for as hot as she could stand, then slid down the wall to the floor.

She sat in the shower with the water running over her head. Thinking about all the failures that had lead her to this point. Her thoughts turned to Prim, the fire, and how she should have protected her. It was her responsibility to make sure she was safe. But she failed.

How it was her fault that Peeta was captured and tortured. She should have protected him, like she told herself she was going to do. He should have been the Mockingjay... not her. He had the way with words... not her. She had failed at that too.

She thought of Gale and what he had done... his betrayal... of helping to build the bomb that would take Prim's life. The bomb... the fire... Prim and all those children. It was her fault for trusting him.

She pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapped her arms tight around them, and began to cry. The more she cried the tighter she held herself... trying... desperately... to hold herself together. Because, if she let go, she would surely fall into a million pieces.

By the time she got a hold of herself the sun was coming through her windows. She got out of the shower, dried her hair and put it in it's usual braid. She dug through the drawers for panties, socks and a bra. Then slid on a pair of brown military style pants and a light blue button up shirt. She laced on her boots and then opened the door to her room. There were two soldiers posted outside her door.

"I want to go to the dining car." She stated flatly.

The soldiers turned and followed her and then posted themselves inside the door of the dining car. She rolled her eyes at them as she sat at the table.

Breakfast was laid out. So, she dished up a small portion of eggs and biscuits with sausage gravy. She poured a glass of orange juice and some coffee. Then just sat and stared at her food. She had eaten back in the Capitol because she didn't want them to come in and knock her out again. And she knew she would have to gain some strength back before they would let her go home. It felt like such a betrayal to eat... like she had no right to need food and have it right here in front of her. She had no right to still be alive when Prim was gone.

She sat staring at her food lost in her thoughts of fire, bombs and betrayal when she became acutely aware of... a feeling... a strong pull... a sense she thought she had forgotten. She looked out the window an realized that pull, that sense, was her hunter's awareness. She could feel the woods, her woods, they were everywhere she looked. They breathed fresh air into her soul. She was almost home.

The sound of the door banging open, startled Katniss out of her thoughts. She look over in time to see Haymitch lumber over to the bar. He looked terrible... hung over... which was a pretty normal look for him. He rattled the bottles until he found the one he was looking for. He opened the top and took a big swallow. Then he turned and looked at her with blood shot eyes.

Katniss plastered a big smile on her face and in a loud voice shouted, "Good morning!"

Haymitch just winced and turned around to find ice and a tall glass to pour a drink into. Katniss chuckled to herself. It was always good to get even with Haymitch... even if it was something small.

He drained the drink then turned back to her and smirked. "What are you so cheery about."

"Not a thing." she said flatly.

Haymitch dropped into the chair across from her. His drink and bottle in hand. After a while he mumbled. "They are going to start rebuilding district twelve. They're going to work on all the districts." He brought his glass up to his lips. "But, they figured twelve deserved to be worked on first."

Katniss just closed her eyes and remembered walking through the rubble of twelve. Stepping on the bones of the ones who hadn't made it into the woods that night. It was her fault. All her fault, that Snow decided to wipe twelve off the face of the map. If she would have just died in the first games, those people would still be alive. She just nodded her head.

They sat there in silence for a long time. Haymitch drinking and Katniss numbly staring out the window at her woods. The feeling that she had before, that pull, was slowly being replaced with something else. A heavy, almost suffocating weight on her chest. She took slow, even breaths and continued staring out the window trying to borrow some strength from her woods.

She could feel the train slowing down. They must be getting close to the District Twelve train station. Then it occurred to her, there wasn't a station to pull into.

The train came to a stop and the six soldiers that had escorted her to the train appeared at her side. The one in charge stated, "We are ready to escort you to your home Miss Everdeen."

Katniss just looked up at him. The heavy weight she was feeling was becoming almost unbearable... she was finding it hard to breath. Haymitch reached across the table and sat a glass in front of her. She looked down and saw that it was... whatever he had been drinking. She picked it up and downed it in two big swallows. She started coughing and her eyes were watering. He poured her another drink and she chugged that one too. She could feel the burning going down her throat into the pit of her stomach. At least she was feeling something other than that suffocating weight. She sat the glass down on the table and stood up on shaking legs. She looked at the 'one in charge' and nodded her head.

They all stepped down off the train into the rubble, of what once was, the district twelve train station. Then headed in the direction of Victor's Village. Katniss was amazed to see so many people and machines all ready working to clear away the rubble. There were stacks of new building material and a few hovercrafts in the meadow.

They were making a big pile of... something... over where the school use to be. She realized what that big pile was... bones. The bones of all the people who died because of her. Her stomach did a flip and the breakfast... no, she hadn't eaten breakfast... her supper from last night threatened to make a quick exit.

She made herself swallow it down and she willed herself not to cry. She wouldn't cry... not in front of these people.. these soldiers or Haymitch. She stared straight ahead and concentrated on lifting each foot and placing it in front of her, _step... step... step. _ One at a time. She noticed, out of the corner of her eyes, that workers were stopping and staring at her. She just kept stepping, one foot at a time... _step... step... step._

Her little military procession finally arrived at her home. She looked up at the dark windows and thought 'how am I going to go in there? There won't be a space that doesn't remind me of Prim and how much I miss her.' She didn't even have the option of going back to her house in the Seam. Because that house, and well the Seam itself, wasn't there anymore. She looked down at her feet... the ones she had been concentrating on so hard. The ones that had brought her to this door. Her feet... another betrayal.

"Are you going in sweetheart or are you just going to stare at your feet all afternoon?" Haymitch drawled in her ear. She really hated him sometimes.

She looked up at the kitchen window and noticed that the light was on. Katniss's stomach jumped. Had her mother come home to twelve? The last time she had seen her mother was... in the hospital. She had helped take care of her burns.

Katniss moved forward... _step... step... step._ She stared at each stair leading up to the front porch. Then focused on one foot at a time... _step... step... step._.. until she stood looking at the handle of the screen door. After several minutes, she reached out and opened the door. _Step... step... step._.. into the entryway and then _step... step... step_... into the kitchen.

She looked up and stared at a woman bent over, taking a pan, out of the oven. The woman must not have heard her come in. Her mother never heard her come in. But when she realized she was in the room she would jump and gasp saying "Katniss! I wish you would stop doing that!" Katniss would always chuckle to herself, thanking her hunters tread for the small indiscretion, of scaring her mother.

"Mom." whispered Katniss.

The woman straightened up and turned around holding a hot casserole dish in her hands. Katniss stomach dropped. The woman was Greasy Sae. Another betrayal.


	3. Fire and Memories

**I don't own these characters or the HG story. **

CHAPTER 3: FIRE AND MEMORIES

She didn't know how long she had been home. Each day began and ended the same... with her numbly sitting in the kitchen staring into the fire... trying to forget all the bad things that had happen. All the terrible things she had done since volunteering for her little sister.

She tried her best to make herself remember all the good things that she could... but it seemed even the good memories became bad ones. Like daddy taking her by the hand into her parents bedroom to see a pink face little bundle that her mommy was holding. Daddy telling her she was a big sister now and how she was going to be the best big sister ever. Her daddy didn't know how wrong he was because she let her little sister die. No... not just die... BURN.

Of course, he could have never known, at the time, that Katniss would meet someone... someone who would become the only person she would let inside. Someone, she would trust beyond anyone else to take care of the one person she loved more than anything. Someone, who would commit the ultimate betrayal. By taking the traps and snares, he used for survival and turn them into evil contraptions... that would take Prim's life. That someone was Gale.

How could she have trusted him? How could he have help create those bombs? How could he leave and not come back to twelve? He said he would have my back, always. Always! How could she miss someone who helped kill her sister? No. NO! She never could. She will never let herself trust him again!

She had tried, but failed, to make herself leave the kitchen... she knew that she would lose the thin, fragile hold she held on her sanity if she came face to face with the memories the rest of the house held.

So, she slept here, in this chair, for short periods at a time. The nightmares always woke her up in a cold sweat. Then she would huddle closer to the fire staring into the flames... trying to forget... trying to remember... wishing she could go back and change things.

Maybe, if she had swallowed those berries in the game. Then Peeta would have been the victor. He could have been the mockingjay. He could have led the rebellion. Prim would have lived because Coin wouldn't have used her to try and crush Peeta. Peeta never really knew Prim. Never took care of her. He had never really had much to do with her family... just her.

What if she hadn't gone to find Peeta. He would have died where he was hiding... he wasn't even trying to survive. He was trying to out last everyone. Except, he would have had to face the last person - weak and injured he wouldn't have survived. Or the game makers would have sent the mutts after him. That was Peeta though... trying to find a way around things... trying not to become a monster, like she did.

If she had been the only victor. If she hadn't helped Peeta survive. If she hadn't defied the game makers. She could have come home and Snow would have let her and her family alone. Right? There would have been no rebellion. The people of District Twelve would still be alive because Snow would have had no reason to bomb Twelve. Prim would still be living here, in this house.

Every small detail of that first day here came slamming back to Katniss. Prim had been so excited that day she could hardly contain herself. She had gotten up early, before the sun was even up and pounced on Katniss while she slept.

"Today's the day! It's morning... come on Katniss. Get up! We're moving to the new house today!" she said breathlessly.

Katniss tried to talk in between Prim bouncing on her stomach, "Okay! Oomph... Okay! I am getting up. I am getting up. " She laughed. It was the first real and genuine laugh she had experienced since coming home.

Prim jumped off the bed and ran into the next room to wake up their mother. Katniss could hear part of what she was excitedly exclaiming... "morning... house... time... up." Katniss laughed because she knew their mother was experiencing the same pouncing she had just gone through.

Katniss got up and met Prim and their mother in the kitchen. Katniss put her hands on her hips and looked as stern as she could. "Prim, you do know that the sun is not even up yet.

Prim just tilted her head and said, "Yes." Like she did this everyday. "You get up all the time before the sun comes up to go hunting."

Katniss looked at her mother and they both burst out laughing.

Katniss held up her hands in defeat. "Okay! Okay! Little duck," Prim ran over and threw an arm around Katniss and their mother. "We're up! We're getting ready!"

"I think we should make ourselves a nice breakfast... here in this kitchen. Then we will get ready to go. Okay!" Their mother stated.

"Okay." said Katniss.

"Mom, we could make breakfast in our new house. It would be our first breakfast there." Begged Prim

"No. We will have breakfast here... in this house. We will take the time... to..." Mrs. Everdeen wiped at her cheek as she turned to get the fire going. "We will eat breakfast here."

Prim and Katniss looked at each other and Katniss motioned for Prim to go fill up the kettle for tea. "Okay... mom... we'll make breakfast here. Let me help."

They sat down together and enjoyed a meal of mint tea, fried potatoes, eggs and toast. And a special surprise of baked cinnamon apples. Mother had taken a few coins from Katniss's winnings and bought groceries for their last breakfast, in this house. A house she had shared with the man that she loved... a house that held so many memories of love, babies, laughter and tears.

After breakfast was over they washed up the dishes and placed them back in the cupboards. There was no need to take them to the new house because it already had everything they would need.

They got dressed and picked up the few boxes they had packed. All they would be taking is the few clothes they had and a few personal items: The book of plants, dad's old hunting jacket, mom and dad's wedding picture and quilt. If there was anything else they needed Katniss could come back anytime and get it. The house in the Seam still belonged to the Everdeens... it always would.

When they got to the house in Victor Village Katniss handed Prim the key to the front door. She was so excited it must have taken her five minutes to put the key in the lock. Mom and Katniss laughed until tears were rolling down their faces. Prim shot them both bemused looks as she jumped up and down unable to contain her self.

Finally inside. Prim ran from room to room exclaiming over all the nice furniture. "Is this really ours! All ours!"

Katniss and their mother just followed her nodding their heads yes and looking at everything in amazement themselves.

They went upstairs to look at the bedrooms and Prim looked at Katniss confused. "There are three bedrooms."

"Yes."

"Do I get my own room?"

"Yes. It looks that way."

"What if I don't want my own room? Can we still share?"

Katniss reached out and smoothed the hair out of Prim's eyes. "Well... why don't we try it out for a couple of nights and if it doesn't work out. We can share, again. Okay?"

"Promise?"

"Absolutely!"

She stared into the fire... seeing Prim's trusting face, as she made a promise she couldn't keep. It wasn't safe for Prim to sleep with her anymore. She would wake, in the middle of the night, screaming, scared and sometimes lashing out at things that weren't there. Her mother and Prim would try to settle her down, to hold her and tell her she was okay, she was safe now. But, Katniss knew better. She wasn't safe. No one that she loved was safe and it was her fault.

Everyday Greasy Sae would come by and cook meals for Katniss and herself. In the beginning she would try to talk to Katniss. Try to get her to open up. Try to get her to eat and take care of herself. But, Katniss would just sit and stare into the fire. She was aware that Greasy Sae was there. She heard her come and go. She even ate some of the meals Sae would leave for her. But, she was lost... deep in the fire.

Haymitch would sometimes come by for meals. He would sit at the table... eating, drinking and staring at her. Greasy Sae and Haymitch would discuss the reconstruction going on and Katniss would find herself half heartily listening.

Tonight they were discussing the burial of the bombing victims. The remaining survivors of District Twelve had decided to bury the bones, in the meadow, in one big grave. Katniss suspected that their louder then normal discussion of the burial was Haymitch's attempt to get a rise out of her, to get her to react in someway. But she didn't. She just sat and stared into the fire. Knowing she was the reason that grave had to be dug.

Finally, Katniss heard the scraping of the kitchen chairs and Greasy Sae and Haymitch both walked toward the door. Haymitch stopped and turned around, "You know sweetheart, the boy wouldn't have wanted you to quit like this. He isn't quitting." Then she heard the door close.

She was alone again… alone with her thoughts... with her memories. What did Haymitch mean? Peeta... was it Peeta who wouldn't have wanted her to quit. Was he trying to get better? Was he trying to get back to her? Did he know there wasn't anything to come back to?

Was it Gale? Gale wouldn't have wanted her to quit? He would have expected her to be strong and capable, to keep going no matter what. To be the Katniss she was before she became a victor. He, above anyone else, should have known... that Katniss... was gone. She closed her eyes and tried to forget.

Katniss woke from a nightmare where she was being buried in a mass grave in the meadow. She got up, shaking and went to the kitchen sink to get a glass of water. She stood there bracing herself on the counter breathing hard. She thought about the grave. About Seam and Town people being buried together. Katniss frowned and thought there would be a few Town people who would not appreciated being buried with someone from the Seam. Then again, she gave a mirthless laugh there were a few Seam people who wouldn't have appreciated being buried with Town folks. How ironic, that in death, there is no rich or poor. No Town and Seam. No one is better or worse then the other.

The District Twelve graveyard had specific sections for Town people and Seam people. You could tell the difference when you went there. The Town section was better kept and had nice head stones. The Seam section was pretty unruly and most graves had home made markers, if there were markers at all.

Katniss got a glass of water and then sat at the table and tried to eat the plate of food that Greasy Sae had left for her. When she had finally finished pushing the food around her plate the sun was coming up. She put some wood on the fire and sat down to stare at her flames.

She heard the front door open and close. She listened but there was no noise... no footsteps... no Greasy Sae muttering to herself as she prepared the morning meal. Katniss finally turned around to see what Sae was doing. Her stomach dropped... but her heart began to beat again. No wonder she hadn't heard anything. He had the same silent hunters tread that she had. A tread developed over years of hunting in their woods together. There... standing at her kitchen table... was Gale Hawthorn.

**Please review. Thank you to the one's that have taken the time to read and then review my story! **

**Thank you to all that have marked this story as favorite or followed and to the ones who have added me to their author list. Wow! Thank you! **

**If you have any suggestions for things to come... please let me know and I will see what I can do. Though, I am up to about chapter 12 now. **


	4. Gale's Return

**I don't own these character or the world created in the HG books.**

**Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read, review, follow or favorite my story! Your support keeps me writing. **

**Leah: Chapter 4 brings Gale Home!**

**Guest: Yes, more Galeniss!**

**Gote: Wow! Thanks, I will try to my best to bring closure to the things ignored by SC in the books. **

**Cassie: Thank you! I always wanted Gale to come back at the end and take Katniss out to their woods to heal. - Sae will play a rather large part in this story. - Yes, it will take time and patience for Both of them to heal. - I will certainly add that scene you suggested! **

**Kingfloppy: Thank you! I hope I live up to the potential of this story. **

CHAPTER 4: GALE'S RETURN

Katniss just stared at him. The air in the room seemed to disappear and she was finding it hard to breath. Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest and hammer in her ears. Gale! Gale was standing here in her kitchen.

She was drawn up out of her chair by an electrical current that coursed between them. She wanted to run to him and disappear in his arms. She wanted to feel safe and whole again. The way she always felt when he was with her.

No. NO! She mustn't feel this way... not after what he had done. Not after his betrayal. He was responsible for making the bomb that killed her little sister. He was responsible for not letting her end this unbearable existence after she killed Coin. He was the one - according to Haymitch - that uncovered Coin's agenda and stopped her trial. He above anyone else should have known to stay out of her way. But, he didn't... he wouldn't let her go.

They stood and stared at each other for a long time, both daring the other to flinch first. It was Gale who finally lower his eyes and Katniss who spoke first.

"Why are you here?" Her voice sounded foreign and hollow to her, maybe… because she hadn't spoken in such a long time. Or maybe because she didn't trust herself to talk to him without falling apart, running to him and crying out everything she was feeling.

"You knew I would come back." Then he added with a hint of desperation in his voice. "I had to come back."

"Really! Her eyes took on a fiery glint. "Really! You HAD to come back. Why, Gale? Huh! For me? Or did you come back for Prim?"

Any thought of falling apart was slowly seeping away from her. "Well, guess what Gale. She isn't here."

He stared at the floor. "I know that Katniss. I... I am so sorry. I... "

"Sorry! You're sorry? Why? Was it your bomb Gale? Were you responsible for what happened?" The fire was spreading from her eyes to her whole body. Her voice was becoming stronger.

"I don't know." He looked up with unshed tears in his eyes. "I don't know. No one is sure who designed what. I gave Beetee some ideas but... we never... I never really."

She stepped closer to him and placed her hands on her hips. "You never really what Gale? Never really wanted to destroy the Capitol and all those people?"

He glared at her. "Yes! I wanted the Capitol to fall. It had to fall. You know that's true. I won't apologize for that."

She narrowed her eyes, her voice becoming hard. "And you would do anything. RIGHT! Anything to make that happen."

"I did what NEEDED to be done. I did what I was ordered to do." She could hear the old Gale from the woods in his declaration. The Gale that would rant against the Capitol and the unbearable hardships they placed on the District people. The Gale who would talk about rebellion knowing that it would never happen. That nothing would ever change. _But it did happen and the old Gale rose to the challenge. Didn't he! _

"Yes! Like the good soldier you are. You created that horrible bomb that took innocent lives." She stepped closer and pointed at his chest. "YOU KILLED HER!"

He stepped backwards, "I wasn't even there... I couldn't. I wouldn't have order that bomb dropped." He was slowly shaking his head no. "Not on a bunch of kids." The hint of desperation was back as he said, "you know that Katniss. You have to know I wouldn't have done that. I wouldn't have been a part of that."

"You all ready told me that you would have done what needed to be done. You would have followed ORDERS!"

He lowered his eyes and whispered, "I couldn't have done that."

"It was your design Gale, wasn't it?!" She demanded.

"I don't know." Gale shook his head. "I don't know. Katniss, I would never hurt Prim. Ever!" As she stared at him she could see the once tall and proud Seam boy - start to slump and look defeated.

"Well, she's gone. GONE! Because of your traps… your snares. I watched her Gale. I watched her burn right before my eyes and I couldn't save her." She was close to tears but she would never shed them in front of him. Never again would he see her weak.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry won't bring her back." In an exasperated voice she said, "Why are you here?"

"I came here for... you." He cleared his throat nervously, "I hoped... that we could... work things out."

She stared at him with a stunned look on her face. "Really? I don't need you. I don't need anyone." She felt an overwhelming need to hurt him as much as he had hurt her. To watch him slump defeated to the floor in front of her. She smiled inside because she knew the best way to accomplish his defeat. "Besides," she paused for effect. "Peeta will be coming home soon. Haymitch told me he is working hard to get better. For me."

Gale looked like someone had just punched him in the gut. Katniss gave him a smirk but, for some reason, she felt like someone had just punched her too. No. She wouldn't - couldn't feel sorry for him. She needed to think of Prim and why she wasn't here with her.

Gale turned and walked to the entryway door. He stopped and looked back at Katniss. "Fine. But, I'm not leaving. I will stay until," his voice became hard. "Mallark gets here." He walked out of her front door closing it quietly behind him.

Katniss stared at the closed door in front of her. She wanted to run after him. To tell him she was sorry for what she had said. NO! It wasn't going to be that easy. She had trusted him to take care of Prim. All those years they had worked side by side to take care of their families and he had betrayed her. He had betrayed Prim.

She stood there staring at the doorknob, when it began to slowly turn. Her heart began to jump in her chest as the door swung open and Greasy Sae walked in. They both jumped startled to see the other. Greasy Sae's mouth dropped open and she stammered out, "Ahh, good morning."

Katniss stepped forward and took the bags out of Sae's arms and said, "Good morning" in a clipped tone.

Greasy Sae stood there, stunned, and watched as Katniss took the bags to the kitchen table and began to unpack them. She stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Are you hungry?"

Katniss was just as surprised as Sae was when she said, "yes!"

They both worked to prepare breakfast and Katniss washed up the dishes from the night before. Greasy Sae wanted desperately to ask Katniss what had happened. What had produced this change in her, after all this time. She kept her silence afraid that if she asked Katniss would go back to sitting in front of the fire, lost to the world around her.

They ate their breakfast in silence and they both did up the dishes. Then just as Greasy Sae had feared Katniss returned to her chair in front of the fire. Sae didn't know what had caused the change in her this morning but she was damn sure going to find out, one way or the other.

Greasy Sae stood on the front porch with her arms crossed over her chest. She reached up to push the hair off of her face when she noticed a duffle bag and sleeping sack leaning against the railing. She walked over and read the ID tag on the bag - Soldier: Hawthorn, Gale. She smiled the biggest smiled she can ever remember smiling. Gale had come home!

"Well, no wonder! If there was anyone in this world that could get a rise out of that girl," she laughed, "it was Gale Hawthorn." Greasy Sae left in search of the instigator of Katniss Everdeen's miraculous momentary change.

Gale had to leave. He had to find a place to be alone. Where he could get himself together before he faced her again. He knew this wasn't going to be easy when he decided to come here. He had faced an angry Katniss before but this was different. This was deeper. He would sooner face a starving bear then go through that again.

He headed for the meadow and the woods. It's funny how old habits never change. Though, the fence was no longer there his feet carried him to the same spot they crawled through when they went hunting.

He stood there in the meadow remembering how crawling through the fence always meant freedom for him. Freedom from all of the worries he shouldered when his father had died. The woods - their woods - was the only place he could be himself. And Katniss was the only person he could be himself with. He took one step forward - crossing an invisible barrier - and felt the change immediately. It was almost like a peace settled over him and he began to feel stronger.

"Old habits." He laughed, when he found himself standing next to their meeting spot.

He plopped down on his half and immediately felt like something was missing. Their spot felt cold and empty. Just like the Katniss he had seen back at her house. She had lost weight and looked tired and beat, nothing like the old Katniss.

He had felt the electricity between them. The same pull he always felt when she was anywhere near to him. He had wanted to take her in his arms and hold her. To get lost in her embrace but he knew better. He knew her better then anyone and he knew she was not going to make this easy for him. She may always hate him for what he had done. But, he knew he had to try. Try to make things right. Try to help her find the girl she was before all this happened. And in the end, if she chose Mallark, well, he would just have to find a way to deal with it.

What would he do then? He wasn't sure. It wasn't even something he wanted to think about. He remembered what it felt like to watch her kiss him during the games. And when they were on the Victory Tour he watched him get down on one knee and profess his love for her in front of everyone. And then hear her say 'yes.' It had felt like someone was ripping his insides out.

_He had wanted to get down on one knee and tell her how much he loved her. He had dreamed of her saying yes to him. _

What did she have in common with Mallark? They had nothing in common but the damn games. As far as he knew Mallark never talked to Katniss. Not at school and not even when they went to the bakery to trade, their squirrels, for bread. What did Mallark have that he didn''t?

His father was the town baker. He probably never, in his life, went to bed with an empty stomach. He didn't know what it was like to have to fight a daily battle for survival. He didn't know what it was like to go to bed hungry most nights because you gave all the food to your family to eat. She did. He did.

They had so much in common. They had both lost their fathers in the mine.

_A place Mallark would never have to face. _

Not like he had to do. He still remembers the first day he had to go down in the mines. He was scared. More scared then he had ever been in his life. He was sweating, breathing hard and felt like he would throw up. Thankfully, he hadn't eaten since noon the day before so, there really wouldn't have been anything to throw up. Mr. Gains, who had worked on the same crew with their fathers, came over and took him aside. He assured Gale everything would be all right and helped him get himself together. Then he walked Gale over to the foremen and asked him to assign Gale to his crew. He stayed with Gale throughout that week and over the time he was in the mines Mr. Gains taught him all he would need to know to survive.

Mr. Gains was killed when Snow bombed twelve. Gale couldn't save him. But, he will always be in his debt and he will never forget his friendship.

He shook his head to bring his thoughts back around to Katniss and how, for all those years, they had fought side by side for daily survival. Developing their relationship over time. He always marveled how they knew each other's thoughts and moved as one unit. They loved these woods and felt alive here.

_Mallark could never share that with her. In the games when she tried to hunt with him, he had made so much noise he scared off all the game. That's when she sent him to gather berries. He couldn't even do that right. _

They both knew when to lead and to follow and neither felt the need to compromise. They were each other's best friend and knew each other better than anyone. They were two halves to the same whole and she made him stronger. He always felt alive when she was with him. No! He couldn't let her go. Not without a fight. If that is what she wanted, then so be it. He would fight until she forgave him or left him for Mallark.

He had a new found resolve. One he hadn't felt when he decided to come home. But one that was growing deep inside of him, in the place where he had pushed down his love for her. Back when the whole star cross lover thing was going on and she had agreed to marry Mallark. Gale thought he had lost her forever. That she had never loved him. So, he buried his love for her deep inside... so deep he never thought he would find it again.

Even when they were in District 13, he kept the walls around his love for her, and focused on the Rebellion. While, she was lost... crawling into air ducts and closets... sleeping all day. Spending her time worrying about Mallark. He tried to be _only_ her friend and continue to take care of her and her family. Just like he had always done. He even listened to her talk about Mallark and how she was worried about him. Truthfully, he was worried about him too. No one deserved to be tortured by Snow. Yet, another reason they had to win the war.

He sat and looked out over the valley in front of him. How many times had they sat in this very spot? How many times had she patiently listened to him rant about the Capitol and how unfair their lives were? He would go on about how people needed to band together and fight. Bring the Capitol down and live free. Then there would be no more reaping and no one going hungry in the Districts while the Capitol people had everything.

She would stand up and brush her pants off and tilt her head to the side saying, "What are two kids from the Seam going to do to the Capitol? Nothing today. So, lets go hunting!" Then she would reach down and help him up. He would just sigh and follow her to the logs where they hid their bows and then he would forget about everything. He would focus his attention on the hunt and her.

The noise of his stomach rumbling jolted him out of his thoughts and reminded him he hadn't eaten anything since last night. He got up and brushed off the seat of his pants and headed back into town.

He had just left the meadow and stepped onto the road when he heard someone yelling his name. He turned around to see Greasy Sae heading straight for him.

"It's about time you brought your skinny butt home, Gale!" She exclaimed breathlessly. Giving him a quick hug.

He laughed and said, "It's good to see you to Greasy Sae!"

She placed her hands on her hips and said, "So, what do you intend to do about _our_ girl?"

He let out an exasperated sigh, "I wish I knew." He was shaking his head and looking back toward their woods. "She certainly isn't planning on making things easy for me."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Has she ever made things easy for you?" She laughed.

Gale shook his head and smiled. "No!" He looked down at his feet and whispered, "But I guess that's why I love her."

"Come on. I have a soup kitchen set up over where they are building the new and improved Hob."

They started walking in the direction of the old Hob. A path Gale knew so well.

"You must have gone in to say hello to her this morning." Sae smirked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. Something like that." Grunted Gale. "I was lucky to leave there with my head still attached."

"Well, all I have to say is; this is the first time, since she has been home, that she has gotten up out of that damn chair and done anything. She actually helped me cook and wash the dishes. And she ate! Ate everything on her plate." She stopped and looked at Gale. "It was because of you, Gale. You got a rise out of her. You got her out of that damn chair."

Hope started to rise in his heart and he smiled at Sae. "Me! Huh... well, I could always get a rise out of her. When I wanted to."

They laughed and headed toward a hot bowl of soup and some warm buttered bread. Both lost in their thoughts of how to help Katniss Everdeen heal the pieces of her broken heart and learn to live again.

**Please review... I love to hear what you have to say about my story and if you have any suggestions or things you really want me to add... let me know and I will try my best! **

**Thanks for reading! **


	5. BOMBS, REBUILDING AND SECRETS (oh, my!)

**I don't own the HG or these characters.**

**Quick thanks to Sam Gh for her suggestions on the bombing scene. I revamped that part and really love how it turned out... hope everyone else does too! **

CHAPTER 5: BOMBS, REBUILDING AND SECRETS (Oh my!)

Greasy Sae walked Gale around the District filling him in on the reconstruction plans for the new Town Square, the Towney section of homes and the Seam. Even the Hob was going to be redone bigger and better than it was before. They ended up back at the Southern edge of the meadow where she showed Gale the mass grave for the people of District 12. She let him know that after everything was done and rebuilt they were going to have a formal dedication to the site and erect a proper monument.

Gale stood starring at the freshly turned ground in the meadow while flashes of memories from the horror of that night and the bombing came flooding back to him. He had stayed up late that night watching Katniss on the TV. When he saw Johanna attack her and drag her over to a clump of bushes. He had slid forward in his chair, fear gripping his heart and anger flaring through him. Anger that he couldn't be there to have her back like he always did. He dropped off the front of his chair sweat dripping down the side of his face as he willed Katniss with every fiber of his being to fight. Then the cameras had flashed to Beetee who was doing something with the wire and a knife while Peeta was running around yelling for Katniss. Gale sat stunned looking at the screen thinking for the millionth time what a damn idiotic liability Peeta really was and he was going to get her killed because of it.

Then the cameras had flashed back to Katniss as she was making her way, bleeding and stumbling, back to the others. Relief had flooded through him at the sight of her still alive and able to move. He knew if she could still move then she could still fight. When she arrived Peeta was no where to be found and Beetee was unconscious on the ground. Katniss grabbed the knife and took the wire off and wound it around one of her arrows. Then she turned - aimed - and let the arrow fly. Everything went black.

He stood up fear flaring stronger and hotter in the pit of his stomach and walked over to the TV. He knew the power was still on because the indicator light still shone green near the on switch. But he still wiggled the antenna and slapped the top hoping it was just their piece of crap TV and not… something… unthinkable. He lifted his hand to the back of his neck and rubbed at the hairs that were standing up there. Something wasn't right. Something bad was happening. That hunter's sense he had was nagging at the back of his mind and it moved him out to his front porch. He had stood there listening and looking out toward the woods. His heart froze when he realized what he was listening for... it was the sound of hovercrafts coming in low over the trees. Then he saw the distant flashing lights. He ran back into the house yelling as he was running for everyone to get up that they had to move… now! He burst into his mother's room grabbing for clothes and sweeping Posy up into his arms. When he hit the hallway everyone was up and in varies stages of dress. Gale pushed them all toward the door. They headed toward the meadow yelling for everyone to run and banging on doors as they ran past. They reached the fence just as the first bombs hit the Town Square. Gale handed Posy to his mom and told Rory where to go and wait.

Gale set out, at a full speed run, toward Katniss's house and Prim. Along the way he was yelling at the Town people telling them to head for the meadow and the fence. He reached Prim and her mother and grabbed up a few blankets and medical supplies and headed out the door. He took them the long way around the town to the opening in the fence where Rory was waiting to show people where to go. Gale could tell that Rory was scared but trying hard not to show it so he reached out and gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze as Rory looked up into his brothers eyes Gale nodded and smiled trying to convey how proud he was of him. Then he turned and headed back into town yelling and trying his best to corral the frantic and frightened people. Heading them toward the meadow and the woods beyond.

When the first rays of dawn came over the mountain Gale was still standing at the edge of town. The bombing had stopped a while ago. But he stayed hoping other people would still make their way to the meadow. He walked back into town and stood there numb and exhausted with tears streaming down his face. There was nothing left but smoking charred ruins and dead bodies. He wiped the tears from his grimy cheeks with the sleeve of his shirt, vowing inside that the Capitol would answer for what they had done. With a deep resolve to fight growing with every step he took, he headed back to the fence and the remaining people of District Twelve. Gale thought that must have been the moment that he let the monster in. The monster he would become. The monster that would save Prim one more time, only to kill her later.

Greasy Sae reached out and touched Gale on the shoulder jolting him out of his waking nightmare. "I know Gale. That was a horrible night. But, you tried. You helped save so many people. You risked your life to get to Prim. You know that... right?"

"Yeah. But so many people didn't make it. So, many people died. For what Sae?" Gale turned toward Greasy Sae and she could see the desperation burning bright in his eyes. "Do you think Katniss will ever remember that I loved Prim that I tried to keep her safe? That she was like my own sister."

Greasy Sae had never seen Gale looking so vulnerable or scared. Even as a gangly fourteen year old coming into the Hob to trade, a boy trying his best to be a man. She looked straight into his Seam gray eyes and said as firmly as she could. "Yes, Gale. I believe that Katniss will eventually remember who you really are. Be patient and give her time."

He nodded his head then smiled, "Seam and Town people buried together. Who would have ever thought we'd see the day." Sae chuckled as they headed back into town.

Gale was impressed with the progress that had already been made with the reconstruction efforts. And he was surprised at the number of District 13 people that had chosen to make their home here in District 12. He guessed they were tired of living underground and having their daily routine strictly regimented. Gale had assumed with the end of the rebellion that life in District 13 would be different but, maybe those that stayed were just use to that way of life. It is hard to change sometimes.

Even the new government was having a hard time getting people to rally behind it. They were offering a new and better way of life. But, people were scared that it would end up being like the old dictatorship. Gale knew that with time and patience things would work out and life would be better than anyone could have dreamed. He smiled and thought with time and patience maybe... just maybe... Katniss would remember the boy he was and see the man he hoped to become. At least that was his hope for the future.

They ended up back at Katniss house in Victor Village. Greasy Sae told Gale to fetch some firewood and she would go in and get supper started.

Gale just grimaced and nodded his head yes. Crap he was going to have to face Katniss sooner then he had thought. But, then again he was going to have to face her sometime. He might as well get it over with and get on with his campaign to get his catnip back.

Greasy Sae headed up the front steps and into the house. When she entered the kitchen Katniss turned around, right away, to see who was there. Greasy Sae smiled to herself. How many times had she walked into this kitchen and Katniss hadn't even bothered to look up and see who it was. Huh... now... for some reason... she chuckled... she takes notice.

Greasy Sae smiled and said, "Are you hungry?"

Katniss looked behind Sae and said, "yes."

"Well, good! Would you like to help."

Katniss was still staring at the door. "Huh... oh, yeah I can help." She froze half way out of her chair and whipped her head back toward the door. She had heard footsteps coming up the stairs. But, that couldn't be Gale because he didn't make any noise. She stood up and went to the window.

Gale stood on the front porch with an arm full of firewood. Haymitch was standing on the stairs with an angry look on his face, pointing his finger at Gale. She stepped closer to the window to hear what they were saying.

"What are you doing here boy?"

"Look, Haymitch. I don't owe you an explanation for what I do."

"We had an agreement. You were going to District two with your family."

"Well, I guess I changed my mind. I wanted... no... I needed to be here in twelve."

"Don't mess with me Hawthorne. I arranged for you to have a great job in two a job that would allow you to take care of your family nicely. You would never have to go back to the mines to work. You just had to stay away."

"I could never stay away. Haven't you figured it out yet. I can't leave her." Then he stated under his breath, "Well, not unless she can't... "

"She doesn't need you boy. Haven't YOU figured that out yet. Huh... you know that Peeta is the one she deserves. He loves her and he has been there for her."

Gale took a step toward Haymitch and between gritted teeth spat out, "Katniss and I have been taking care of our families and each other long before Peeta came into the picture. WE have the history together. And I am staying until SHE tells me that SHE chooses him. DO... YOU... UNDERSTAND... THAT." Gale turned on his heels and headed inside with the firewood gripped tightly in his arms.

Katniss turned and hurried to the table. She sat down and started peeling the potatoes for supper. She watched Gale, through her lowered eyelashes, while he put the firewood in the bin and than added wood to the stove. He turned to Sae and said, "I'm going to chop more wood and fill the bin and the stack out back. Just yell if you need something, okay."

"Okay! I was going to ask a couple of the guys from the Hob to come and chop wood this week. I knew we were running out. I'm glad you're here Gale." She smiled at him.

As he walked by Katniss he glanced at her and caught her eye. "I'm glad. Because I'm not going anywhere." Then he was out the front door. After a few moments Katniss could here the sounds of splitting wood. She wasn't sure why. But, she found the steady sound of the wood being chopped... comforting.

Katniss settled in, at the table, peeling the potatoes and thinking about the conversation she had heard between Gale and Haymitch. What did Haymitch say... they had an agreement where Gale stayed away and Haymitch had found him a good job. And Peeta seemed to be part of this agreement. She didn't know what was going on but she sure as hell was going to find out.

When she finally finished peeling the potatoes she gave them to Greasy Sae, to put on the stove. Then returned to her seat and stared into her fire. Greasy Sae heaved a sigh and continued with her meal preparations.

When Greasy Sae had supper done she filled the bowls and brought them to the table. She wiped her hands on her apron looking at Katniss. Shaking her head, she went out onto the porch and yelled to Gale, "supper's ready. Come in and get cleaned up."

She turned to go back into the house and was startled when she saw Haymitch sitting in a chair that was tilted back onto two legs, sipping on a bottle.

"Damn it Haymitch you scared me."

"We need to get rid of that boy, Sae. He needs to go. Tonight."

She was shocked. "Why?"

"Because, he doesn't belong here. He is just making things harder on her."

"Really. Because, since he has been here she has gotten her butt out of that chair and is helping do a few things. She has even eaten."

"Don't be stupid Sae. She hates him. He is the one who helped design those bombs. She knows that. And we all know that her anger motivates her to do things... sometimes."

"Haymitch, you are the biggest fool I have ever met in my life." She leaned forward and whispered in his face, "His designs helped us win the war. He didn't know that they were going to use them to kill children to kill Prim. Besides, she loves that boy. She always has."

"Come on Sae. She loves Peeta and he loves her."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "She only pretended to be in love with Peeta, so they could survive. Everyone knows that. Well... everyone but you." She added sarcastically.

"I don't think sweetheart in there is that good of an actress."

Greasy Sae spat out in an exasperated voice, "You damn old drunken goat. You better not get in the way of Gale helping her." She shook her finger in his face, "do you hear me." Then she gave his shoulder a push and sent him and the chair over backwards.

Haymitch yelped and grabbed for his bottle trying to save its contents from spilling all over. "Damn it Sae... not the bottle."

"If you can't control yourself. Go find some other place to eat tonight." Then she turned and went back into the kitchen.

Gale walked up on the porch with a load of firewood in his arms. He looked at Haymitch sprawled on his back with his bottle sitting on his chest. Gale gave him a disapproving look and said, "and you're the guy who thinks he knows what's best for Katniss? I don't think so." He went into the house muttering under his breath, "damn old drunken goat."

Gale went over and filled up the wood box in the kitchen. Then he took the extra wood into the living room and put it in the wood box by the big fireplace.

He came back into the kitchen and looked at Katniss. "I'm going to wash up now. Unless, you would like to go first."

Katniss just glared at Gale until he lower his eyes and went into the bathroom to wash.

Greasy Sae looked at Katniss and said, "You know it wouldn't hurt you to wash up a little yourself." Katniss turned and glared at her. Sae turned and mumbled, "or not. It is up to you. Though it might make dinner more pleasant."

Everyone gathered around the table for a meal that was mostly eaten in silence. Katniss sat pushing her food around and staring between Gale and Haymitch. And Haymitch drank more than he ate. Finally, everyone was done and Haymitch got up to go.

"Haymitch I would like to talk to you before you go."

Haymitch swayed side to side looking puzzled, "really... you finally have something to say."

"No. I have some questions that I need you to answer."

"Huh... well... I am to drunk to spew info for you tonight. So, I am going home to bed sweetheart."

Katniss stood up and demanded, "Haymitch, I mean it. I want to talk to you."

Haymitch stopped and looked at Katniss and then at Gale. He raised his eyebrow and stated, "Well, it will have to wait. I am going home to bed." He turned and walked out of the kitchen.

"Damn you Haymitch! Come back here!" Katniss hollered as Haymitch closed the front door.

"Go after him." Greasy Sae suggested.

Katniss stood there with her arms crossed over her chest. Then she turned and sat down in her chair by the fire.

Greasy Sae shook her head and started cleaning up the dishes. Gale cleaned off the table and put the leftovers away. Then he helped Sae wash and dry the dishes. All the time wondering how he was going to break through Katniss's stubborn state of mind. He had never seen her like this before. In fact, it reminded him a lot of Katniss's mother when he had first started hunting with her. He knew his catnip and he knew it was going to take time and a hell of a lot of patience.

As Greasy Sae was getting ready to leave she told Katniss, "I left clean towels and soap in the bathroom. If you want to take a long soak in the tub." Then she turned to Gale and smiled, "Goodnight you two."

When Sae had gone Gale turned to Katniss. "I was wondering if I could stay here? If it's okay with you."

Katniss smiled inside. She wanted him to stay. She was tired of being alone. But she turned to him with a shocked look and said, "Really, don't you think people will get the wrong idea."

Gale looked puzzled, "I think if people were going to get the wrong idea. They would have gotten it when we hunted together... all day... alone in the woods." He smiled his most charming smile. "Right?"

Katniss felt her anger rise. "I don't think that's funny."

Gale sighed. "Come on Katniss. You know as well as I do that 'some people' made comments about us. We never let it bother us before."

"Great! So, because of YOU I've had a shitty reputation for a long time."

Gale's anger flared up. "No. Your shitty reputation started because of Mellark."

"What! Peeta would never..."

"Never. Really? How about your Victory Tour? The word is that you and Mellark slept together the whole time. Is it true?"

Katniss's face turned beet red and she looked away. "I don't think that's any of your concern."

Gale felt like someone just kicked him in the gut. "It's true? You slept with..." He swallowed hard. "With... him? You lied to me that whole time. You told me it was all fake… to survive."

Katniss glanced at Gale through lowered eyes. She could see the hurt and disbelief on his face the shock in his eyes. She wanted to tell him that he was wrong. That what he was thinking wasn't what happened. But... maybe this was the best way to hurt him. Maybe, he would go away and leave her alone. But, did she really want that to happened?

She stood up and folded her arms across her chest. "Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black. You can't stand there and tell me YOU never slept with anyone. Can you?"

"That's different." He smirked.

Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth dropped open then she titled her head to the side, "Different. Seriously! How?"

"Come on Katniss." Gale exclaimed. "I stopped going to the slag heap long before I realized... I realized I had been in love with you for years. Besides, you have always closed yourself off. You never wanted to get married or have kids."

Katniss smirked. "Well, I guess I changed my mind."

Gale stood there with his mouth hanging open. Then he turned and walked out of the kitchen slamming the door behind him.

Katniss sat down and started trembling. She was shaking so hard her teeth were chattering. She reached up with both hands to stop the noise when she felt something wet. She looked at her hands and realized, she was crying. She hadn't cried since coming home. She didn't think she had any tears left.

"Damn you Gale!" She yelled as the tears streamed down her face.

**Thanks again for reading!**

**Please review and let me know what you think of my story so far. Also, let me know if there is anything you would like to see in up coming chapters and if you have any specific things you think Katniss and Gale need to work on so that they can heal. I would love any and all suggestions and I will try my best to work them in... as long as they work within my original plan for this story. **

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	6. Sparks For Everyone

**I don't own any of these characters or the HG story. **

**First, I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to update. I came down with a bug two weeks ago and I just can't seem to shake it. If any one has a great natural remedy for sinus drainage and coughing pleasssssseeeee pm me! **

**Second, thanks again to all of you that are taking the time to read my story and for all of you that take the time to review, follow and favorite too! Thank you... thank you... a thousand times... thank you! This is what keeps me working on this story! **

**Guest: Sorry it took me this long to update. I can't reply to you because you review as a guest... otherwise I would have let you know I was sick and would update as soon as I could. But, thank you for your reviews and your reminders. They do keep me going! **

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**Wolfskin: Thanks for your reviews and our little discussions. I actually will try to work that little bit of info into the story. Thanks! **

CHAPTER 6: SPARKS FOR EVERYONE

Gale spent most of that night at their spot in the woods. Going over everything in his mind. He knew he had no right to be angry with her for turning to Mellark when he couldn't be with her. But he was angry with the Capitol for taking her away from him to play their sick games. Putting her in a position of living with fear because she couldn't protect the people she loved. And most of all for forcing her to be their love sick puppet. He was glad the Capitol would never rule their lives again. Now, she had the right to choose who ever she wanted. He just hoped that she could look beyond this... dependence... she was forced into with Mellark. To see him... her best friend... see him... for who he really was and man he hoped to be for her.

It was a few hours before the sun would come up so he made his way back to Katniss's house. He wasn't sure where he would stay but if he had to he could sleep in the woods. He was standing on her porch getting his bags when he heard her small scream. He went into the kitchen and saw her slumped forward staring into the fire.

Katniss turned to look at Gale. "I thought you had gone."

"No. I told you I wasn't going anywhere." He said with conviction and then asked with concern. "Are you okay?"

Katniss turned back to her fire. "Yeah. I'll live." She said flatly.

Gale stood there watching her. Then he swallowed hard and coughed. "Katniss... I'm going to go hunting in the morning. Would you like to come with me?"

The woods! Just the word brought back memories of swimming and hunting and sweet smelling air and a sense of forbidden freedom. She closed her eyes and whispered, "no."

Gale turned and went out to the front porch. No, he couldn't leave her… not now… not ever. He opened his sleeping bag and lay down to catch a few hours of sleep. He would stay here... close to her... just in case she needed him.

Katniss set staring into her fire seeing the remnants of her nightmare in the flames. The woods. She hadn't thought about the woods since she walked in her front door. How long ago was that? How long had she been sitting here in this kitchen… in this chair? She really had no idea.

Why hadn't she felt the pull the woods always had for her? She remembered feeling that familiar pull when she was on the train. She knew when they had crossed into District Twelve. She could feel it. For a short time she felt alive and free again. She could smell the clean fresh air and hear the familiar sounds. The woods... something in the depths of her soul sparked and started to grow.

Greasy Sae walked up onto the porch and stood looking at Gale asleep on his sleeping bag. 'Well apparently things went great after I left she thought. She walked into the kitchen and watched Katniss staring into the embers of the fire.

Greasy Sae put her hands on her hips. Under her breath she sighed, "This is going to be one long hard fight." Then she shook her head and set about making breakfast.

She went outside and gave Gale's foot a slight kick to wake him. "Breakfast is ready."

Gale rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Ok. Thanks."

When Gale came into the kitchen Katniss was seated at the table focusing on pushing the food around on her plate. Greasy Sae set a plate of food down and told Gale to sit and eat.

Gale didn't move from his spot by the door he just looked at Katniss. He would never expect her to just feed him. They had always shared things fairly never taking more then they gave to the other. People from the Seam were like that; they were proud and respectful of what others had and would trade an honest days work for whatever they needed. Last night he had chopped firewood replenishing the stack out beside the house and filling the wood boxes in the kitchen and living room. And his plan was to go hunting and bring food into the house and hopefully the Hob as well.

She finally looked up at him. She knew why he didn't sit down. She had basically refused her home to him last night and no one from the Seam would just expect hospitality from someone else. Even someone you considered a friend or family. People from the Seam didn't have a lot. So respect for someone's property and food was all you could give. She knew he would never ask and run the risk of her refusing him again. So he just stood there looking at her with that proud look she always loved.

Finally Katniss said, "Eat."

"Thanks." He said as he pulled out a chair and sat down to eat.

"I'm going to go hunting to help bring food into the Hob. Would you like to go with me Katniss?"

Katniss looked up. For one brief moment Gale saw a familiar spark in her grey eyes. "No."

"Okay." Gale got up and placed his plate in the sink. "I'll see you tonight."

After the door closed behind him Katniss turned to Greasy Sae. "Are you going to see Haymitch today?"

"Probably, this afternoon. Why?"

Her forehead furrowed into a frown. "I want to talk to him about something. But it can wait."

"Okkaay." Then with a hint of hope Greasy Sae said, "Well, you could always go check on him at his house."

"I'll talk to him tonight after supper." Katniss stood and returned to her chair by the fire. Instead of starting her fire again she wrapped her blankets tight around her body and settled in to stare at the ashes and remember the day she returned to District Twelve to see the destruction for herself.

Greasy Sae sighed and headed for the door. "I left you a sandwich and some fruit for lunch. I'll see you tonight." Sae waited for a reply that never came. She could see that Katniss was lost in her memories again. She turned and closed the door quietly behind her.

Greasy Sae headed for the Hob muttering the whole way. "Damn that stubborn girl. How are we going to get through to her."

She had thought that with Gale's return she would snap out of it. Maybe even go hunting with him. She knew she should accept the small victories: like her getting out of that damn chair, helping with the cooking, and eating. But... damn it... she wanted that girl back… the girl who came in with Gale to the Hob. Who was shy and didn't say much but had a spark of fire in those grey eyes. Who learned, with Gale by her side, how to stand up and fight for what she needed. She sighed, frankly, she would consider it a big victory if they could just get her to take a bath and wash her hair.

Greasy Sae smiled, "That's it! That's the next step. We need to get her to want to take care of herself. To take a bath and wash her hair." A new determination and a plan sparked and started to grow.

Gale went out to the porch and stowed away his sleeping bag. He unwrapped the bows he had brought with him and strapped on the quiver of arrows.

When he had gone to District Thirteen looking for evidence to clear Katniss during her trial for killing Coin. He had stopped by their rooms and pack up all the personal items he could find.

He was surprised to find both of their old bows tucked away in a closet in the Everdeen's room. He grabbed her book of plants, her father's old hunting jacket and her parents wedding picture. These were the things that meant the most to Katniss and he wanted to make sure she got them back safely. He would give them to her tonight. Well, all but her bow. He wanted to put both of them in the logs where they used to keep them and surprise her, if he could ever get her to go hunting with him.

Gale headed for the woods with a feeling of anticipation pumping through his veins. It wasn't a new feeling for him but not having the accompanying fear was. He loved the woods and felt alive here but before there was always the fear of being caught. Which meant a public whipping or worst. Of course, he had to admit, that the fear added to the anticipation. He smiled and jogged across the meadow and into the woods.

Gale arrived at the logs and carefully placed Katniss's wrapped bow in her spot and tucked her quiver of arrows back in the hollow of the adjacent tree. It was funny how just returning these bows to there original hiding places seemed to make things feel like they could be all right again. That District 12 will be rebuilt and the new government will be better for everyone and Katniss will find her way back to him. He smiled then headed for his old snare line. This was their pattern. Get the bows and then check the snare lines. There truly is comfort in familiar ways and things.

He stood there staring at the lines. They all needed to be reset and a few of them were torn down or completely gone. He figured the snare had been sprung catching an animal but since no one was here to check the line. A bigger animal must have eaten the trapped one destroying the line in the process.

Gale knelt down by the first snare. He reached out... then stopped... his hand frozen in midair. He couldn't make himself touch it. His insides began to twist into a knot and his hand began to shake. This... snare... these traps his father taught him. They had been what he had shared with Beetee. They had turned these simple tools he used for their families survival into weapons that would kill people. That would kill Prim. He felt the knot grow tighter as his anger began to rise and tears slipped down his cheeks falling on his clenched fists.

Gale reached down and tore the line from its branch. He went from bush to bush, tree to tree ripping them all down and yelling out his pain. "NO…. NO…. NO more!"

Once, he had all he could find he fell to his knees and slipped his knife out of its sheath and began cutting the line into small pieces. "No… these will never… ever… be used to take another life… I will never... ever... make another snare… or trap. Never!" He vowed.

When he was finished destroying the line he sat back on his heels and stared up at the blue sky. Fresh tears streamed down his cheeks and soaked the front of his shirt, as he was overcome with the memories of The Nut and all the people that had died that day. Of Prim and the way she and all those children had died. He fell to his side in the tall grass and curled into a ball. He was responsible for so many deaths. His ideas. His traps. Hot tears streamed down his face and anguished cries escaped his lips as he hugged his knees tight into his chest. Gale lay there curled up among the pieces of his snares and cried until no more tears would fall and his throat felt raw from yelling out his pain.

When he finally felt like he had pulled himself together he rolled over onto his back and squinted up at the white fluffy clouds drifting across the blue sky. He had not allowed himself to cry in years... he always had to be the strong and dependable one that everyone else relied on. The last time he had let himself cry like this was after his father had died.

He remembered that day like it was yesterday. Standing next to his mother and clutching the hands of his frightened little brothers as they waited with all the other anxious families. Waiting and hoping that they would be among the lucky ones and their husbands, fathers and sons would come out of the mines alive.

Slowly, agonizingly, time crawled on as men came out coughing and wheezing covered in dirt and blood carrying the injured to freedom. One by one families rushed forward to embrace them and carry them home. Finally, only a few families remained and each person knew in the pit of their stomachs that they would probably never see their loved one again.

It would be several weeks before they cleared the tunnel and recovered what was left of the bodies. During that time Gale would be the strength his mother needed and the security his brothers cried for. And during the Recognition Ceremony he would be the one to stand up for his family, in the square, and receive a certificate for his father's death and a few dollars compensation for the grieving family.

That is the day he went out to the far side of the meadow away from town to the last place he had talked to his dad. On that last day his dad had explained to him what it meant to be a good man. Gale had slumped to the ground and curled into a ball finally allowing the tears to fall. Crying for his father who everyone in town called a good man. A father that always put the needs of the people he loved before his own. Who was always so strong and held their family together. For his mother who would have their baby on her own and raise her family without the man she loved beside her. For his brother's who had spent so little time with their dad and the unborn child that their father would never hold and she would never know. He cried for himself because now he was the man of the family and he wasn't even sure what it meant to be a man.

Gale had laid there in the meadow until the sun was starting to set. He knew his mother would be worried about him and he still had to go to the Hob to trade for some food. He sat up and reached into his pocket taking out one of the handkerchiefs his father always carried - they were his now. He wiped the tears from his face and blew his nose. When he had come out here to the meadow he was a heart broken, frightened, lonely young boy but as he got up from the ground and started walking back toward town. He squared his shoulders and vowed to himself that with his last breath he would give everything he had to the people he loved and become the man his father would be proud to call his son.

Gale wasn't sure his father would be proud of him for the things he had done during the rebellion. But he knew that his father would agree they had to win the war. They had to. What would have happen to _all _of them? If they had lost what would have happened to Katniss? He thought about all those years he ranted about people banding together to defeat the Capitol. He never really thought it would happen. But it did. He knew the rebellion was their only chance for a better life. A life that... maybe Katniss would want to share with him. They could have a family and be happy together. But now he wasn't so sure. Maybe she should hate him. After all he was the monster that was responsible for killing so many people with his simple ideas.

He sat up and reached into his sack and pulled out the bottle of water he had brought along with him. He dumped some of the water over his face and downed the rest of it in a few gulps. He put the bottle back into the bag and took his father's handkerchief out of his pocket. He wiped his face and blew his nose then he got to his feet. He hadn't let himself feel anything about the war. He always told himself he was doing what had to be done… for everyone… like he always did. That he wasn't the only one fighting this rebellion. He knew it was time to deal with everything that had happened and everything he was responsible for. Katniss wasn't the only one with wounds that needed to be healed. The only thing is... he_ knew_ that she was the only one that could help him heal his wounds and he hoped he could do the same for her.

Gale picked up his bow, took a deep breath and headed deeper into the woods. It just wasn't the same hunting without Katniss beside him. When they hunted they became like one person with Katniss taking the lead and scanning to the front and left. And Gale walking a few paces behind and scanning to the back and right. If he was honest when ever they were around each other they acted like one person. They never had to use words to know what the other needed, they communicated through looks and actions. They could accomplish ten times as much when they were together.

After silently treading through the woods for half an hour he finally spotted a squirrel sitting on a low branch about twenty feet away. He drew an arrow and aimed his bow. After allowing for the wind he let the arrow fly. The squirrel turned and chattered wildly at him and scampered back up the tree. Gale laughed and said, "yep, Mr. Squirrel you're right... everyone's safe from me today." Gale walked over to see if he could find his lost arrow.

After he found the arrow he went back to the tree the squirrel was in and began to practice with his bow. He carved a quick circle on the trunk of the tree and walked out about twelve feet. Okay. Step by step. Draw the arrow and nock it on the bowstring. Spot the target and bring the bow up pulling the line back. Find my anchor spot and sight down the line to the tip of the arrow. Allow for the wind and slowly release the line. The arrow hit the tree about seven inches lower than the target spot. The squirrel chattered at him. Gale winked up at the squirrel. "Yeah, just keep making fun of me Mr. Squirrel. We'll see who is on whose table tonight."

Gale practiced for an hour with Mr. Squirrel commenting on each and every arrow. He was especially vocal with the shots that completely missed the tree… jumping up and down and chattering wildly. Gale barked out his frustration at Mr. Squirrel, "Look I don't need your help. If you would just shut up. I would probably hit my mark."

Gale jogged over to retrieve his stray shots. Muttering, "if Katniss were here she would fix whatever I'm doing wrong and then we would see who gets the last laugh."

Gale returned to the tree putting all his arrows back into his quiver and picking up his game bag. He looked up at Mr. Squirrel and pointed his finger at him, "hey funny guy. I'll be back."

The squirrel chattered his response and flopped down on the branch daring Gale to return.

Gale busted out into a full on belly laugh with tears leaking from his eyes. "You win! Your safe from me." He said between gulps of air and fits of laughter. Then he turned and headed for the lake. Shouting over his shoulder, "but you already knew that. Didn't you, Mr. Squirrel?"

Mr. Squirrel chattered his affirmative response.

Gale must have laughed for the next half an hour as he was treading through the woods. "Crap, if anyone saw me today they would think I had gone off the deep end."

He shook his head, "First, I am crying like a baby and now I am laughing like a complete idiot. Let's not even mention that I'm talking to a squirrel… and myself. Maybe, I should be locked up." He laughed.

He figured he would head to the lake and do some fishing. He had made a few nets and stored them at the lake when he was hiding in the woods with the survivors of twelve. So, if he couldn't shoot anything with his bow he could at least catch some fish.

He hadn't brought anyone down to the lake except Rory, Prim and Vick. This place was special. Special to Katniss and she had shared it _only _with him. He couldn't bring everyone down here to evade her spot. So, he had set up a make shift camp by the creek that was closer to the meadow. As it turned out they were only there for a few days. When Haymitch showed up with hovercrafts from District Thirteen looking for survivors.

Gale arrived at the lake close to noon and headed for the small cabin to retrieve the nets he had stored there. They seemed to still be in good condition. He striped down to his boxers and waded out into the lake to set the nets. He built a fire and then headed over to the other side to gather some plants and bulbs. These were the one's that Katniss had showed him were good to eat.

After heading back to the fire he waded back out to see if he had caught anything. He was happy to see six good size fish caught in his net. He took them out and stored them in the net he used for gathering his catch and grabbed a fat one to clean and eat for lunch.

He sat by the fire holding the fish over the flames impaled on a branch. He remembered the first time she had brought him here. It was the most beautiful place he had ever seen. She had shared with him the special memories of her father and the precious times they had spent together. And she kept them all here in this place. A place she would visit when she needed to gather some peace of mind and strength to go on.

Gale dropped the fish into the fire and jumped up. "That's it! That's what I need to do!" Gale smiled and bent over and retrieved his scorched fish. A spark ignited in his soul and began to burn bright. For the first time since he decided to come back to twelve he knew exactly what he had to do. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of this before. The woods! The woods... will save her and... maybe... him too.

He ate his scorched fish with renewed energy. Fishing for a few more hours he separated the fish he would take home from the ones for the Hob. He stuffed his fish in his game bag along with the plants and bulbs he picked. Threw the net over his shoulder with the fish for the Hob and set out for home.

He had a plan and he was a little ashamed of himself because it was based... loosely... on one of his traps. But, this time he wasn't using it to kill but to heal the one he loved. He just had to get Katniss to wander into it.

**Thanks for reading! **

**Please let me know what you think of this chapter. **

**And if you have any ideas or scenes you would like me to work in... write me a review and let me know!**


	7. Plans In Motion

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**I do not own these characters or this world that Suzanne Collin's has created. But thanks for letting me borrow them for a while. **

CHAPTER 7: PLANS IN MOTION

Katniss sat in her chair staring at the embers left from her late night fire. It was getting warmer during the day so she now only lit the fire during the late-evenings. She actually found herself up and pacing around the kitchen during the day. Sometimes she would stop and stare out the kitchen window toward the woods. She would close her eyes and feel the breeze on her face, hear the wind rustle the leaves on the trees and contemplate all the sounds that exist in harmony with nature. But when she opened her eyes reality was waiting to take hold of her again.

What was Gale doing out there? Probably going swimming today. It was turning out to be hot and humid and on days like this they had always left time to cool off in the stream. Maybe he was hunting? She wondered how he was doing without her there to help him. "Apparently fine," she huffed. He brought home food everyday.

She stamped her foot and turned away from the window. "Damn him."

He would come in every morning and gulp down his breakfast and as he was leaving he would throw over his shoulder, "going hunting. Want to come?"

"No," she would say with more determination than she really felt.

"Okay. See ya tonight." He would practically run out the door and off the porch.

Katniss would roll her eyes and plop down in her chair.

Greasy Sae would shake her head and say, "why don't you go with him? You know you want to."

Katniss would turn and glare at her until she turned back to the dishes.

Everyday Greasy Sae would tell Katniss, "I put fresh clothes in the bathroom and brought down some of those bottles of... stuff... from the upstairs bathroom if you would like to get cleaned up today."

Katniss would just glare at her until she headed out the door saying, "I left a plate in the oven for you. Goodbye, I'll see you tonight."

And Haymitch, he hadn't come around since that night. She knew he was keeping away because he didn't want to answer any of her questions. She should just march right down to his house and... and... beat it out of him. "Damn old drunken goat," she huffed.

She resumed her pacing around the kitchen. Stopping in front of the bathroom door she wondered if maybe she should take a bath the last time she had was... on the train and she had no idea how long ago that was. She looked into the bathroom, raised her eyebrows in confusion and said out loud to herself, "bottles of stuff?"

She went in and picked up some of the bottles. There were bottles of shampoo, conditioner and soaps that her style team had brought for her to use. Katniss picked up the last bottle, looked at it then dropped it on the floor. She turned and went back to her chair by the fire, wrapped the blanket tightly around herself and began to rock back and forth while another memory pierced her eyes.

She saw Prim excited to be here in their new house. It was the first night and they were all in the bathroom standing by the tub. Katniss showed Prim how to work the knobs on the wall. "See you turn this one and cold water runs out." Prim put her hand under the water with big eyes and laughed.

"This one should be hot water." Prim held out her hand. "Be careful. It's hot." Katniss had warned her.

"How?" Prim said with confusion. "We don't have to heat the water on the stove?"

Katniss laughed. "Nope. And we don't have to carry it and dump it when we're done. You just pull the plug and it drains away."

"Wow!" Can I take a bath now?" Prim asked her mother.

"Well, that's a first time." Their mother smiled. "Sure." She looked at Katniss. "Something tells me we're never going to get her out of the tub." They both laughed while Prim knelt down and put her hands under the warm running water.

"I have one more surprise for you. This is something else I brought back with me. Here!" She handed a pink bottle to Prim.

Prim read the bottle, "bubble bath?"

"Yeah, bubble bath... here." Katniss poured a small amount of flower scented bubble bath into the tub. "You put a little in while the water is running and you get BUBBLES! See?!"

Prim watched with fascination as a mound of bubbles grew in the bottom of the tub. Breaking out in a fit of giggles she hung over the edge and swished her hands around churning the water to create a mountain of fluffy bubbles. Then she jumped up and stripped out of her clothes, tossed them all over the bathroom floor and practically dove into the tub, disappearing under a mass of airy white.

Katniss and her mom were laughing so hard they had tears running down their cheeks.

"I think you're right," Katniss said. "The next time we see her she's going to be one big pruney wrinkle." Katniss gathered the clothes and put them in the laundry basket.

They watched her splash around for a while longer then their mother grabbed a washcloth and a bar of soap and handed them to Prim. "Here young lady. If you are going to splash around in that tub at least scrub the dirt off." She smiled and winked at her.

Prim loved that tub and she became the cleanest kid in all of District Twelve. If she could, she would take a bath every night and every morning. It didn't matter how rushed for time or tired she was. Katniss remembered one time having to go in and get Prim out of the tub because she was nodding off.

Katniss chided her as she grabbed a towel to wrap around her little sister. "Really, Prim you could drown yourself."

Prim just smiled through drowsy eyes mumbling about bubbles while Katniss guided them to Prim's room. After she dried her off and put a clean nightgown on her, Katniss tucked her into bed then leaned over to kiss her forehead and murmured, "sweet dreams little duck." She added in a whisper, "maybe it's time I take you down to the lake and teach you how to swim."

Katniss stood in the doorway watching her little sister sleep, thinking what a wonderful feeling it was to be able to give her little sister something that could bring her so much joy. The smallest of gifts could mean the most when you had nothing before.

Katniss rocked herself back and forth in her chair the rest of the afternoon the scene with Prim in the tub playing over and over in her head.

When Greasy Sae came through the kitchen door that evening, she knew something had happened. Sae stopped in her tracks and watched Katniss rock back and forth in her chair. Crap. This was almost like those first weeks after she had returned from the Capitol. What the hell had happened now? She was doing so much better these last few weeks. She was eating and even getting out of that damn chair to pace around the kitchen. Sae sighed and walked over to set the grocery bags down on the table.

What happened? Gale wasn't around and Haymitch had left for the Capitol a few hours ago. She knew he hadn't been down to see Katniss because he was doing his best to avoid her. She spilled the contents of her bag on the table and several potatoes fell off the edge, bouncing and rolling toward the open bathroom door. Sae sighed and then went to retrieve her wayward potatoes. She picked up a few off the kitchen floor then went into the bathroom to round up a couple more. While she was in there she picked up a pink bottle lying on the floor next to the toilet. She read the label on the bottle out loud, "bubble bath."

Katniss turned to look at Sae with her face scrunched up in pain. "Get rid of it."

"Okay." Greasy Sae took the bottle outside and stared at it. "Why?" She rubbed her forehead. "Bubble bath?" She opened the bottle and smelled the flowery scent then it dawned on her. "Damn." She would bet a whole week's worth of rations that this had something to do with Prim.

She sighed and set the bottle down on the porch. "One step forward, two steps back. Damn it!" She huffed, then turned and went back into the house to make supper. A supper that she knew from experience would go uneaten tonight.

She tried her best to coax Katniss over to the table to eat but she was lost in her own world again. So Sae cleaned up and put two plates in the oven: one for Kaniss and one for Gale when he got back from hunting or whatever the boy was doing these days. He ran out after eating breakfast and came home after she had left every night. She wanted to ask him what he was up to but she could never pin him down and get him alone.

"I put plates in the oven for you and Gale." Katniss just stared into her fire watching bubbles go up in flames.

Greasy Sae shook her head and said with an exasperated sigh, "good night, I'll see you in the morning." She closed the door quietly behind her and headed home.

Gale was working on his plan to get Katniss' down to the lake by fixing up the little cabin and making it livable. He knew they were going to need time and space to heal and grow to trust each other again and the little cabin by the lake made perfect sense. They both came alive in the woods and the little cabin had so many comforting memories for her. Maybe they could both draw on the strength and comfort the lake offered and help each other heal. He wished... he hoped!

He hated to take anyone down there with him... it felt like he was betraying Katniss's trus but he wanted to get the cabin done as fast as possible. So he asked two of his buddies to help him with the construction. He had known both of these guys all of his life and they had worked on the same crew down in the mines. He trusted them and knew they would never do anything to hurt or betray Katniss.

Gale was able to borrow one of the construction hovercrafts to transport the discarded remnants from the reconstruction that he had commandeered. They tore down and rebuilt most of the walls and added a small bathroom off the back of the cabin. They had to dig a huge pit for the '_borrowed' _incinerating toilet and the piping for the tub to drain into. They put a roof on and laid flooring down and added a couple of windows. Then they added a sink and indoor pump for water in the kitchen area. They would have to pump the water in the kitchen, heat it in the fireplace and carry it to the tub. But they just had to pull the plug to drain it. He thought Katniss would like that.

Gale also spent several days putting up some shelves and a few cupboards to store the dishes and food items he had been bringing down over the last several weeks. He planned on building a table and a couple of benches out of the wood that was left but figured he would do that when he finally got her down here. They had slept on the ground when they had made trips down here before so for now they would just sleep on the floor of the cabin. Later on he could build them a bed. He smiled at that thought, hoping that there would come a time that they would finally be together. Hope, he thought, is such a powerful thing. And he had hope now... he knew as long as he had hope anything was possible.

Today he spent the better part of the day trying to find the primrose bushes Katniss had showed him on their first trip to the lake. She had shared with him the story her dad had told her about the day Prim was born. Her dad had come down here to fish and gather some plants when he had found these bushes. He had picked her mother a huge bouquet of primroses for a surprise. Katniss had laughed when she told him that apparently her mother was so surprised by the flowers that she went into labor and that was how Prim got her name.

Gale was going to plant some of the primrose bushes around the edge of the cabin. He knew that Katniss kept all the special memories of her father here and he hoped that seeing these bushes would help her keep the precious memories of Prim here alongside that of their father's.

He was proud of the work that they had done on the cabin and was sure Katniss would love it. For the first time since coming back to Twelve he was sure, deep down inside that Katniss could heal and she would remember him... who he really was... not the monster he became.

He bound up the porch and into the kitchen ready to convince Katniss to come with him tomorrow but he stopped cold in his tracks when he stepped through the door. Katniss was sitting in front of her fire again rocking back and forth. He knew something bad must have happened today. Damn it. He knew he wouldn't be able to get through to her tonight... maybe not for days, depending on how bad the memories were.

Gale stood there debating... should he confront her now or let her deal with these memories in her own way? No, she had to start confronting things and the sooner she did the sooner she could get on with her life. Gale squared his shoulders and stepped forward into the kitchen.

Katniss sat staring at the flames, seeing Prim on fire in a tub full of bubbles. She squeezed her eyes shut and became slowly aware of a presence in the room. She turned and jumped when she saw Gale standing inside the front door. Damn him and his walk.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"What do you want?" she demanded.

Gale came into the kitchen. "I was wondering... well... I could use some help bringing food into the Hob. And I thought... you could go hunting with me tomorrow. Then we could go down to the lake."

The lake. It had been so long... the lake is where she kept all the special memories of her father. She would always go there whenever she needed to gather peace of mind and strength to go on, and she could use that now. She closed her eyes and thought how wonderful it would be to go there to swim in the lake and sit in front of the fireplace in the evening. She opened her eyes and stared at him... the person who took Prim away from her. "Why would you think I would want to go to the lake with you?"

"Katniss... You told me once that the lake was a special..."

"Don't! You have no right to even be there anymore." She stood up and stared at him.

"Katniss..." Gale could see the growing storm and tried to head it off.

"NO! I mean it. I should have never taken you there. Never!" She stepped around the table and faced him head on.

"I..." Gale shifted but stood his ground.

"I should be taking her there. I should be sharing things with her." She walked toward him. "But because of you," she spat out. "I will never be able to teach her how to swim. I will never be able to share memories of dad with her."

"Katniss, I know. But she would want - "Gale began.

"NO! You don't get to tell me what she would want." Her eyes turned a stone grey color as she pointed her finger at him, "ever!"

"Okay." Gale held his hands up. "Okay. But... I loved her too!" he declared.

Katniss walked up to him and slapped him across the face. "Really?! Then why did you kill her?"

Gale stood his ground and looked into Katniss's stone grey eyes. Shaking his head he said firmly, "I couldn't kill Prim anymore than I could kill Posy. You KNOW that's true Katniss."

Katniss reached up to slap him again but Gale caught her wrist and pulled her into his arms. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her while she struggled against his chest, twisting and turning while yelling, "LET ME GO. LET GO. DAMN YOU! GALE..."

Gale held on tight trying not to hurt her. Telling her over and over, "everything will be okay."

Slowly she stopped struggling and with her final words, "no... it won't," she went limp in his arms. He stood there for a long time stroking her hair and holding her close to his heart while he rocked back and forth on his feet, just like he used to do with Posy when she was small.

Katniss knew she was being weak but right now she didn't care. It felt safe to be wrapped in Gale's arms; arms that were strong and sure but could be soft and giving also. She pressed her face into his chest and cried silent tears. She knew he loved Prim. He was right. She knew that he couldn't hurt Prim anymore than he could hurt Posy. Right? Doubt began to press in on her memories. But he did. She was gone. Killed right in front of her eyes. Katniss put both her hands on his chest and pushed away from him. Gale let his hands fall to her waist. Their eyes met. Both had Seam grey eyes and both had tears running down their cheeks.

Katniss stepped back out of arms reach. She turned and went back to her chair by the fire.

Gale stood there for a few more minutes then he wiped the tears off his face with his hands and went out to the porch and laid down on his sleeping bag.

"Soon, Katniss Everdeen. Soon. I will take you down to the lake even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you all the way there," he whispered.

**Thanks for reading! **

**Yeah Gale and Katniss are finally starting to move toward one another. **

**Drop me a review and let me know how I'm doing or if there is anything you would like to see! **


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